Ethan Couch's 'affluenza' defense goes viral, 'victim of wealth': rich teen kills 4 in drunk driving crash, sentenced to 10 years probation, avoids jail time

Back in June, 16-year-old Ethan Couch killed four innocent people in a drunk driving accident in Texas. The teen's blood alcohol level was .24 - three times the legal limit for an adult. But Couch's defense team argued that he suffered from "affluenza" (aka - he's a spoiled rich kid who thinks he can get away with anything because he has money). Couch was recently sentenced to serve 10 years probation.

Reports confirm that Couch was blacked-out drunk while driving on a rural Texas road over the summer (June 15), speeding at 70 mph. "Loaded on booze and Valium," Couch lost control of his Ford F-350 pick-up truck and smashed into a broken-down car near a road outside Burleson.

The abandoned driver, 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell, was killed instantly. Three other good Samaritans who stopped to help her were also killed - mother and daughter Hollie Boyles (52) and Shelby Boyles (21), and youth pastor Brian Jennings (41).

Couch had seven friends riding in the truck - two were critically injured. Sergio Molina remained in a coma for months, and is now paralyzed. She now communicates by blinking her eyes.

Prosecutors claim that Couch and his pals were partying with beer stolen from Walmart before the crash. They were trying to get more alcohol when the horrific accident occurred.

Couch ultimately faced 20 years in prison, but was released from a Fort Worth courtroom on Tuesday (Dec. 10) with 10 years' probation.

The victims' families were not happy.

"Money always seems to keep [Couch] out of trouble," Eric Boyles (who lost his wife and daughter in the wreck) told the Star-Telegram newspaper. "Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail. If [he] had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different."

Couch's defense argued that he doesn't deserve hard time, but only needs some counseling - his parents are willing to send him to a posh Southern California treatment facility for $500,000 a year.

Psychologist Dr. G. Dick Miller, a witness for the defense, blamed Couch's parents for the wreck.

Miller told the court that Couch was the "troubled product of a broken, wealthy home" - he got whatever he wanted from his parents, and he didn't understand the dire consequences of his rash actions (because he was never disciplined). Couch allegedly suffers from the common rich-kid syndrome "affluenza" - his high-style of living eventually led him to believe that money could solve everything. According to KHOU, "His family felt that wealth bought privilege and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences."

And maybe money does help - Couch ultimately avoided jail time.

"[Couch] is not free. None of us knows what God's plan is. He has not escaped judgment," Marla Mitchell, the mother of victim Breanna Mitchell, told the Star-Telegram. "That is in the hands of a higher power."